Chips….I am a “former” Catholic, left the church in the 80″s. But since this new Pope, my faith in my upbringing has been rekindled. I am hopeful that this Pope will change the Church to what is could be. A beacon of light for the downtrodden, poor and those cast off by society. I do believe these two men are kindred spirits. The positive energy between them shines through in these photos. Something the haters will never know.

Your story is almost identical to mine, Carla! I’m an ex-Catholic too, but this Pope is a revelation. I had no hopes for him at all, but he surprises me every day. The connection between him and PBO today was a joy, the images alone say everything. Hope!

Naming a chocolate cake after US President Barack Obama has helped a small bakery in Salento, a region in southern Italy with acute unemployment, defy the economic crisis. The move has been described as “cunning marketing”. The marketing mix has been so successful that baker Angelo Bisconti is marking US Independence Day, July 4th, with the opening of a new factory on Thursday evening in his town of Campi Salentina, where ten new staff will produce more ‘pasticciotto Obama’, a type of pudding.

“Over the last five years, this cake has really helped business grow so much,” Bisconti told The Local by phone on Thursday, as he geared up for the evening’s festivities, which include the unveiling of a marble statue of President Obama in the square opposite his Pasticceria Chèri shop. To top the occasion, the square will also be temporarily named after the sitting US president.

In an interview with The Local last year, Angelo Bisconti, a staunch fan of Obama, said the special cake, named ‘pasticciotto Obama’, a type of pudding, was his way of honouring America’s first black president. From 7am on Thursday, he will give away 5,000 cakes from a food stall on Rome’s Via Veneto, close to the US Embassy, as a “symbol of welcome to the president”, he told the news website, Resto Al Sud. “I know it will be difficult to realise my dream of meeting him, but I’ll still be there,” he added.

“I owe respect to a person who changed my life, and to whom I owe my professional luck.”

Bisconti’s Salento-base bakery, Pasticceria Chèri, has thrived since it started producing the special cake in early 2009. The success was marked with the opening of a factory in his town of Campi Salentina on July 4th, American Independence Day, last year, where a team of 10 now produces 15,000 cakes a day….”

A friend of mine who lived in Rome at the time PBO got elected said that there were nonstop street parties in Rome for three whole days after the election. They sure love their/our President Obama over there!

Yes, Italians love him. When we were in Rome in Jan 2003, just two months before our invasion of Iraq, the Italian people were united in their hatred of GWB and not wanting to go to war. Berlusconi was very unpopular, even then, for advocating for the invasion.

We all forget how many times Europe has been ravaged by war. In the 20th century alone, they were devastated TWICE. They know the costs and hazards of war. We’ve been pretty much protected since the Civil War.

Hf, do you remember that one of the more egregious shows of media devotion to the Bush administration was the attempt to make Rumsfield out to be a “sex symbol”? The press slavered all over him telling us how appealing he was to women. At the time, it blew my mind that anyone on this planet could think this despicable creep was anything but a loathsome toad.

At the “Mall of America” in Minnesota there is a cupcake shop (among several) and one of their selections (last summer) was called the “Michelle Obama” cupcake. It was usually sold out by mid afternoon, so if you wanted it, you would need to get there relatively early.I don’t recall people naming their delectables after GWB or Laura Bush. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention, but I don’t think so.

Speaking of naming delectables after our President… I was at the Good Stuff Eatery a couple of weekends ago and on the menu were the Prez Obama Burger and the Michelle Melt….Never Ever saw a food item named after either Laura or George Bush in the 8 years they were here in Washington.

Chips, their hamburgers are fantastic but their shakes are to die for. The media gave FLOTUS a hard time (because of her Let’s Move and Healthy eating program) about visiting this place early on in the Presidency so she hasn’t been back but it’s considered the go to hamburger place on Capitol Hill.

Our great President deserves a salute for all he has done and is doing on our behalf – always working to protect our people, preserve our ideals and build hope for our future. Here’s to you, Mr. President!

Some people act (those who don’t know) as if PBO came late to health care….NOT SO. When he was here in OKC in Feb 2007, he was talking about it, and we knew he would work for this if elected. He asked how many in the audience of about 1500 did not have insurance or access to any health care. Probably one third of the audience raised their hands…….mostly young people. He talked about the necessity of fixing this situation, and he followed through. I think he never forgot the battles his mother had with insurance companies while dying from cancer. He knew from personal experience how dire this situation was. All the other candidates had money and no health care worries.

You are so right. I remember how they went crazy over the website; everyday it was the 1st news reported. It got so bad, the local networks started the same morning garbage; Obamacare isn’t working, broken website will not work etc….

I had to stop trying to watch local news, and now, no one wants to give credit when and where credit is due. They hate President Obama with a passion and they don’t even try to hide it anymore.

I am so thankful, that he has the hand of the Lord on his life; allowing him to move “FORWARD” when the enemies are trying to keep him down.

Thank you & Grazie infinite to Chipsticks & Nerdy Wonka for the wonderful posts of President Obama in Rome today!!!

I began the day with those lovely pictures of the meeting between the President and the Pope. They both looked so sincerely happy to be in each other’s company!

I was so grateful to see the live presser of PBO and Prime Minister Renzi posted here but I had to leave to go to work before I could watch much of it. When I arrived home tonight, I got an email from the Consulate General of Italy (I am a citizen so I get emails from the Consulate) with a link to the entire press conference! Wow! Our President made me so proud, the way he spoke about the world economy, his meeting with the Pope, Italy and Ukraine. I thought he handled all the questions masterfully.

And I’m also impressed with PM Renzi, now that I have heard him speak. I am inspired that he so obviously admires PBO and I think he will be like him in the sense that he will piss of the old guard of both the left and the right in Italy. I also got a kick out of the fact that he has named his economic proposals after the (American) Jobs Act; amazing that a foreign leader sees the value of it while our Repubs in Congress couldn’t care enough to pass it. Hopefully PM Renzi will have better luck. I think it is a testament, though, to how much PBO has been able to accomplish without the help of Congress, that, even though the American Jobs Act did not go anywhere in Congress, the Prime Minister of Italy still wants what we have, which is the result of our great President’s hard work and leadership🙂

I see now that you have the presser and transcript posted above. Anyone who hasn’t seen it, I recommend watching – it will be an hour well spent and make you proud!

Thanks again to both of you for this wonderful info. I didn’t turn on the news today because you do such a superior job of keeping us informed!

I am honored Bobfr! Each and every day you provide me and others here at TOD with so much valuable insight and information on world events! It makes me so happy to have contributed even a little bit to you!

Wow, I had no idea this was such an extended trip with a most varied purpose and events in every location. I hope it goes well for him and he comes back soon.

If he somehow could get those racists in the House to pass immigration I think he wouldn’t have to do another thing the rest of his term. I would consider the 8 years an unmitigated success of the highest order well beyond my expectations in EVERY aspect.

Totally. I didn’t sleep well last night so got up and started working on my laptop at home at 5a.m. Because of that I was dragging all day until I saw what he has been doing. I could not IMAGINE dealing with the jet lag, having non-stop public appearances AND speeches in foreign countries and knowing you are being photographed and videotaped every second and one wrong gesture or word and the media would go nuts. What emotional and physical strength he has to even do that— let alone appear so calm and centered and actually enjoying himself.

Oh and as a result POTUS made me buck up today and make it ALL THE WAY TO 6pm lol.

He’s just a big show-off, Chips! Last night it was angel smilie and suspiciously-looking-over shoulder smilie which he had me desperately trying to emulate, before telling me ages later that I don’t have the power to use them. In fact, I’m convinced he set me up. Tonight it’s a fancy boldy thing. I bet anything I can’t do that either. 😦 Wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he takes the time he’s supposedly gone to bed to try and figure out new ways to torture me, or to make you jealous. A great big show-off! /rant over/

“Ukrainian Jews slam Putin in full-page ad in New York Times
March 27, 2014 11:33am

NEW YORK (JTA) — Leading Ukrainian Jews took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times slamming Russian President Vladimir Putin for maligning the treatment of Jews in Ukraine.

The ad, which also appeared in Canada’s National Post, Israel’s daily Haaretz and the International New York Times, is addressed to Putin and accuses him of spreading lies about how minorities, including Jews, are treated in Ukraine.

“The Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine are not being humiliated or discriminated against, their civil rights have not been limited,” the letter says. “Your certainty of the growth of anti-Semitism in Ukraine also does not correspond to the actual facts. It seems you have confused Ukraine with Russia, where Jewish organizations have noticed growth in anti-Semitic tendencies last year.”

The letter was signed by a host of businessmen, public figures, scholars and artists. The lead signatory is Josef Zissels, chairman of the Association of Jewish Communities and Organizations of Ukraine, known as the Vaad.”

Just a quick note before dinner:
I just went out to my mailbox and there was an envelope from CoveredCA (I’ve been enrolled in a Silver Plan since Jan 1) and also one from Anthem. Anthem was my pre-ACA insurer. As a self-employed person, I have had to buy insurance on the private market for years. As some of you know, the ACA has been life-changing for me.

Anyway, used to be, when I got an unexpected envelope from my insurance company, it was some kind of bad news or meant that I had to make an hour-long frustrating phone call to correct some mistake.

Imagine my delight when I see that the envelope from CoveredCA was a voter registration form to update my VoterReg to my new address (which is awesome because I just moved and that was on my long to-do list). Then, I opened the letter from Anthem and it was a Fee Settlement check from a Class Action settlement.

The formal request created on W.H.gov. for Alaska to secede from the U.S has received 30,000 signatures and to join Russia. Everyday you learn that there are crazy ass people in this world, this country. Why don’t all you who want to secede and join Russia pack up and move to Russia. Take all your family too.

Don’t know who the dipshit was who asked the ? after dipshit Acosta, but President Obama’s answer is nothing short of profound:

“PRESIDENT OBAMA: First of all, I just want to make clear — maybe it wasn’t clear from my answer to Jim — that we actually didn’t talk a whole lot about social schisms in my conversations with His Holiness. In fact, that really was not a topic of conversation.

I think His Holiness and the Vatican have been clear about their position on a range of issues, some of them I differ with; most I heartily agree with. And I don’t think that His Holiness envisions entering into a partnership or a coalition with any political figure on any issue. His job is a little more elevated. We’re down on the ground dealing with the often profane, and he is dealing with higher powers.

I do think that there is a potential convergence between what policymakers need to be thinking about and what he’s talking about. I think he is shining a spotlight on an area that’s going to be of increasing concern, and that is reduced opportunities for more and more people, particularly young people who, by the way, have more and more access to seeing what’s out there and what’s possible because they have access to the Internet or they have access to other media, and they see the inequality and they see themselves being locked out in ways that weren’t true before. And that’s true internationally, not just within countries.

And so for him to say that we need to think about this, we need to focus on this, we need to come up with policies that provide a good education for every child and good nutrition for every child, and decent shelter, and opportunity and jobs — he is not going to get into details of it, but he reminds us of what our moral and ethical obligations are. It happens also to be good at economics and good national security policy: Countries are more stable, they’re going to grow faster when everybody has a chance, not just when a few have a chance.

So he’s hopefully creating an environment in which those of us who care about this are able to talk about it more effectively. And we are in so many ways following not just his lead, but the teachings of Jesus Christ and other religions that care deeply about the “least of these.”

With respect to Russia, what was your question? You guys ask me too many questions. I can’t remember them all.”

And, my dear TOD friends and ALL who lurk, please read and SAVOR these words from Prime Minister Renzi in response to an American #NEWSTAINER:

“PRIME MINISTER RENZI: We affirm our commitment very clear, and we stay strong and very determined with our partners. And so there are values in our country. The first value is not money. The first value is the ideal of democracy and freedom.

(As interpreted.) But let me say something in Italian. This is a concept that I want Italians to understand. The Italian economy is not in any condition to be in a crisis and to, therefore, not be able to deal with the crisis in Ukraine. And this is an important concept and I want it to be crystal clear for our Italian journalist friends. We can be there. We can face up to a possible energy crisis. We have the resources with which to do that.

And we’ve always got to remember that we may have high public debt but we always have private savings, which is four times public debt, and we have a primary surplus. We’ve had this over the years at a constant level. And our economic growth statistics don’t make us the Cinderella of Europe and international institutions. So we have to supersede this thinking. And it isn’t only a question of making these economic and financial calculations.

When during the Second World War our American friends came to fight in this country, they didn’t do it for economic reasons. And when I was the mayor of Florence, I went every year to the cemetery — which is one of the most impressive places because of the silence — the U.S. cemetery there. There were so many families who have lost their young American soldiers, and they lost their lives to defend the values and freedom in our country, a country that perhaps they had never even visited. Now, I don’t think that that’s a question of economic calculation or cost, you see.

And, therefore, I would ask our friends in the Italian press to realize that the data that we are working with in the Ukraine crisis and in the crisis with Russia aren’t only based on economic considerations. And this is why the relations and our friendship with the United States of America have trade implications. And I think that during the European semester of presidency, we have to come to an agreement — hopefully, we’ll manage to do this and maybe it will come in 2015 if we don’t manage to do it during the Italian presidency — so I was saying we come to an agreement on the trade agreement with the United States.

But what I’m trying to say — and this is why I wish to thank President Obama — is that there are shared values. In just a moment, President Obama will be making a private visit in some of the most beautiful places in Rome, extraordinary places. Those beautiful and extraordinary places in Rome are — well, if they had been created today there would have been some bureaucrats saying, no, we’re spending too much money, we’re not creating the right thing. Those are places of beauty, you see, that have a huge impact of huge importance. And those are the places that don’t make our country an economic superpower, but a cultural superpower.

So with the same kind of commitment with which we defend our past, we wish to build our future together with our allies. So I think we have to be a bit bolder, a bit more enthusiastic. And if you don’t mind my saying this, we need to be a bit more ambitious, because I think that today Italy needs to start dreaming bigger than it has up to now.”

Here, President Obama makes it crystal clear, if only people would open their eyes and hearts and minds:

“I think His Holiness and the Vatican have been clear about their position on a range of issues, some of them I differ with; most I heartily agree with. And I don’t think that His Holiness envisions entering into a partnership or a coalition with any political figure on any issue. His job is a little more elevated. We’re down on the ground dealing with the often profane, and he is dealing with higher powers.

“I do think that there is a potential convergence between what policymakers need to be thinking about and what he’s talking about. I think he is shining a spotlight on an area that’s going to be of increasing concern, and that is reduced opportunities for more and more people, particularly young people who, by the way, have more and more access to seeing what’s out there and what’s possible because they have access to the Internet or they have access to other media, and they see the inequality and they see themselves being locked out in ways that weren’t true before. And that’s true internationally, not just within countries.”

Someone gave that man a medical license? I see the goal of the GOP is to keep certain groups in the population ignorant where education, medical care, and well paying jobs to only the well educated and rich. He pretty much did a Rmoney by telling a bunch of wealthy people how stupid the 47% are in his state and that they just don’t deserve healthcare because they are too poor and stupid. Plus the person who wrote this article never stated what the GOP Plan was.

I loved watching the presser with PBO and PM Renzi this morning. PM Renzi’s highest respect and admiration for POTUS was abundantly clear and it’s quite obvious there is also great affection as well. He seems very astute on a range of issues with all the right values. Love hearing him refer to PBO as his inspiration. It is my deepest HOPE that we see more of this from world leaders in the years ahead as people come to acknowledge the incredibly unique contribution PBO brings to all situations.

I’m hoping that American voters who are considering giving the Senate to the Republicans (according to this week’s news predictions) can see how the world regards this amazing President Obama and realize they have allowed themselves to be swindled with lies.